Roxboro Cotton Mill
Why it's listed
Roxboro Cotton Mill is a brick textile mill at 115 Lake Drive in Roxboro, Person County. The original two-story building went up in 1899, and a matching addition at the south end followed in 1924, together running about 525 feet. It has heavy timber framing, segmental arched windows, wood roof and floor decking and chamfered interior columns, with Italianate influence. Storage and opening-room buildings were added by about 1943, and further additions in the early 1960s. The mill was funded by a group of local businessmen led by J. A. Long, who wanted an industry that would buy cotton from county farmers. It began producing yarn in 1900, expanded in 1904 and 1924, and helped turn Roxboro into a manufacturing town. A supervisor developed a travelling lint vacuum there in 1925. The mill operated until 1999. Since 2005-2006 part of the main building has served as a charter school, while much of the remainder is empty or used for storage.
Significance in brief: The mill is significant under Criterion A in the area of industry for its role in the start and continued growth of Roxboro's textile industry from 1899 to 1959. It was financed by local businessmen led by J. A. Long to create a market for local cotton farmers. It also illustrates late nineteenth-century North Carolina mill construction with Italianate influence and slow-burn heavy timber framing.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 09000660, listed August 27, 2009. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 115 Lake Dr., Roxboro |
|---|---|
| County | Person County |
| Listed | August 27, 2009 |
| Reference number | 09000660 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1899-1959 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Italianate; Other: Slow-burn Heavy Timber Construction |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Part of the main mill was renovated in 2005-2006 and houses a charter school; much of the rest of the complex is empty or used for storage. |
| Acreage | 11.8 |
| Coordinates | 36.39195, -78.97975 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 09000660.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q21187965
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.